Relationship

My wife Ganga called me "Murthy let us plan our Diwali purchase this weekend". Okay, Ganga asks our children to make out a list to be purchased and also plan for purchased for our needy relatives" "is it ok".

She nodded in affirmative.

Ganga and my children started making out the list.

On Saturday we had a sumptuous lunch and by 3 pm I made my car ready and called my wife and children. " Shall we start Diwali purchase". " we are already".

"Show me the list so that we can plan shopwise."

My daughter gave me the list. I glanced through it. It had 2 skirts, cracker boxes, Under the relations head, she had added 2 T-shirt and 1 Saree.

Surprised I asked her " who are the relations you are going to give". Is it niece or cousin?

She said " One t-shirt for our paperboy who delivers paper daily, another T-shirt for Milk boy and saree for the street sweeper who keeps the road clean. " How you can group them under relatives? " I asked.

She retorted what is a relationship? The persons who are in contact daily and being part of life whatever be the situations. Our so-called cousin and niece come only during a festival or any occasion. But the paperboy, milk boy, and the sweeper face us daily 365 days in a year without fail. They are real relationship is my view she said.

I felt very humiliated in not considering them and felt proud of my daughter. My wife was beaming at her feeling happy.

I felt this year only we are celebrating real Diwali. I had a sense of satisfaction, our next generation in the right direction.